The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-18
KEUKA.
ITS ENTERPRISING RESIDENTS.
It's Growth In Four Years-The First Excursion
Wish TO Mr.. ed. Rum.ey-w What Others Haze
Done Elder Moore-A Poultry Yard.
Correspondence of the PnIntkn Ne1rs.

lage IL situated ON the shores of
beautiful sheet of water nesting in the
midst of Pleasant Valley. This little
lake is the pride of the people round
about and at times numerous boats of
sail and oar power dot its ripping sur
face.
Four years ago the sound of wood
mans AK, ne'er had walked the long
slumbering echoes where now stands
Keuka. One day about that time the
people of Palatka were startled at the
announcement made by circular and
handful of the birth of this new town
and it was determined by its progenitor
to organize an excursion to Pleasant
Valley, the better to show off this prod
ICY and incidentally to place few
town lots where they would do the most
good, enjoy ride on the new railroad,
for the Florida Southern was then just
in trim for carrying people to and fro,
enjoy day in the woods, a picnic din
ner and come home happier and feeling
better for the trip.
The shrewd head of the founder of
this town knew full well that, if he once
got people to;look on, this town site,
fully one hundred and twenty feet above
the level of the st. Johns, there would
be no lack of settlers, and not few to see
in it superior advantages for business,
healthfulness and home comforts. Then
again less than twenty miles of speed
and luxurious railroad travel, over the
Al l..
ern-The Orange Belt Route, separated
it from its neighbor Palatka The excur-
sion taxed the capacity of the road to
transport the crowd, and town lots went
off like hot cakes, the wonder is that any
were left.
There are now two general stores with
a business that keeps up good average
throughout the year, and Judging from
the look of thrift about their well kept
places i imagine the volume of business
is quite satisfactory to the proprietors.
A neat drug store is kept by Mr.. Bel
den where the few ailing ones can find
panaceas for their woes.
Mr.. Joseph F. Reid keeps general
store, his stock is large and well selected
and you can find almost anything you
need. Mr.. Reid also keeps the post office
and as postmaster is much liked. If you
want to take run over to Orange
Springs a few miles away, Mr.. Reid
keeps some good roadsters and can speed
you on the wings of the wind to Jour
ney's end.
MIR. j. ID. Teeter has q large store less
than stones throw from the posi- office,
here you will find groceries, dry goods,
hardware, clothing, seeds, ETC., and
think it would be difficult to ask for
anything in general use that he could
not supply. MIR. Teeter is station agent,
and both in this capacity and as mer-
chant, he loses no opportunity to serve
you and to please. There is manufac-
turing establishment here which / shall
write anon. 1 had almost forgotten to say
that Mr.. Belden manufactures several
remedies from formulas of his own that
have quite an extensive sale here and at
the North.
MR.. ED. RUMLEY.
The threatening aspect of the
clouds warned me to seek shelter but
before doing so calculated on time
enough to call ON Mr.. Ed Rumley, the
pioneer of Keuka- 1 found him busy,
as he always is, this time doctoring
''disgruntled" well. But being always
on the alert to show courtesy to his
visitors l was taken in hand and my
eyes made to feast ON the beauties of his
r,ta II teaI hi - u &
Keuka, rising from the waters edge in
gradual slope back some two hundred
feet to where his house stands on the
summit of the hill you have fair view
of the lake and surrounding country.
From the front gate to the house is a
wide walk grown in Bermuda grass, on
either side of which are tube roses, cal
las, Florida lilies. rose bushes i'm profu-
sion, with roses of many hues and other
ornamental shrubs. This walk begins
again at the rear of the house and con-
tinues to the lake, ending at the door of
his boat house.
Those of us who jog about our places
in deep sands, dragging our feet one af-
ter the other, can testify of the relief
good fine walk like this affords, and the
rest to eye and limb in a single day is
sufficient to recompense years labor to
have one such walk about the premises
PECANs.
Mr.. Rumley then showed me pecan
tree, five feet high, only two years from
the seed. He has a number of pecan
seedlings, and from what / could learn,
would think pecan culture about as prof
liable as anything that can be grown
here. 1t takes about five years to bring
them into bearing. and beginning at
from one to five pounds each tree, in
creasing each year until the yield of half
a dozen trees will pay the expense of
cuitivating whole acre. An acre will
hold hundred trees, or about as many
as of orange trees. Taking into consid-
Grafton the fact that you can keep your
crop months after it is harvested, that
there Is always demand for pecans and
that frost and freezes never kill the
trees, and that our soil is well adapted to
their growth, see no reason for making
oranges the sole dependence. MIR. Rum
ley has, of course, oranges of many va
rieties, but while his faith is strong in
them he does not believe. as his works
show, in pinning his faith to any one
crop.
He showed me Peen-to peach trees
loaded with fruit, of which he has six
hundred; also one hundred Lei onte pear
trees; and 1 hardly know what else.
Among other things were nectarines,